Book excerpt: In Alwyn Crawshaw’s Ultimate Painting Course, the artist encapsulates 50 years’ of painting and teaching in one volume. He begins with the basics: brushes, paints, and surfaces; choosing a medium; and the fundamentals of simple perspective, color-mixing, composition, and tonal values. He then starts you off with simple three-color exercises, which are followed by a number of helpful half-hour exercises. He also shows you how to work from photos and sketches and includes a section on painting outdoors. Finally, there are more than 20 step-by-step demonstrations - in watercolor, acrylics, and oils - that feature landscapes, seascapes, and human figures. An outstanding guide for aspiring artists.